At just 20 square metres, Casa Manyana is an inspiring tiny cabin that offers ‘just enough’.
The project is the latest prefabricated building prototype by architect Adriano Pupilli, founder of IMBY Kit (In My Back Yard) — a business offering architectural designs as modular ‘kits’ that can be easily assembled by an owner on site.
Casa Manyana is especially personal, as it responds to the challenges of post-bushfire recovery — something Adriano’s own family experienced firsthand a few years ago.
‘[Our] home narrowly survived the devastating 2019-20 NSW South Coast bushfires, however, a damaged cabin on site required rebuilding to accommodate the needs of a growing family,’ Adriano says.
‘The project asks how rebuilding might occur in a manner that is both resilient and affordable, whilst being adaptable, and replicable by others facing similar circumstances.’
Located within the front yard of their existing two-bedroom cottage in Manyana, the compact cabin has room for all the essentials: a living space, kitchenette, loft for a bed, and a bathroom within its curved form, alongside an entry deck featuring floor-to-ceiling windows that maximise natural light. It’s fully electrified and hides high-performance insulation across floors, walls, and roof for enhanced thermal comfort.
Following the blueprint of the initial IMBY Kit design, Casa Manyana was built from a CNC (computer numerical control) manufactured puzzle of interlocking plywood components, which fit together precisely with no need for nails, screws or glue — reminiscent of flatpack furniture.
The biggest challenge, however, was ensuring the design achieved the stringent BAL 40 rating. Despite being built from FSC-certified plantation pine plywood, the frame is shielded by a non-combustible envelope of fibre cement and Zincalume steel cladding. Meshed operable louvre windows provide daylight and cross ventilation, without sacrificing its bushfire resilience.
‘The frame was installed in a day with three people,’ Adriano says. ‘Installation of the Zincalume pre-curved cladding was completed within three more days.
‘We wanted the system to get people back on their land faster to begin the process of rebuilding and healing from the traumatic event of surviving a devastating bushfire.’
In addition to the efficiency of its construction, the prefabricated model reduces material waste and minimises disturbance to the natural landscape.
At his own property, Adriano’s Casa Manyana cabin now serves as a home office, kids’ play area, and guest accommodation.
Adriano hopes the prototype can be developed and applied to a multitude of scenarios in future, with options to customise the interior spaces and the protruding windows, or even create multiple pavilions on the one site. Depending on size and design options, the Casa Manyana kit will retail for between $75,000 and $120,000.
The project presents a clever, dignified, and swift solution for rebuilding in the face of a natural disaster.
